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LOCAL
THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8 -14, 2019 • Page 16
BASEBALL
Continued From Page 15
Baseball coach Sam Marion, pictured, said the pitcher’s mound was also redone. Photo by Carla Parker
“When we face [teams] in other
regions, we face better pitchers who
throw a little faster and it gets to us
because we don’t have that pitching
machine that all the other schools
have,” he said.
Lithonia made the playoffs last
season despite not playing any home
games. The Bulldogs played all their
games on the road because their
infield was in poor condition. The
infield flooded when it rained, which
often happened last season. Marion
said DeKalb County School District
would not pay to redo the field at first.
However, when new executive director
of athletics James Jackson and
department of facilities and operation
supervisor Steve Houston visited the
school and examined the field, the
department agreed to pay for the field
repairs, which cost $28,000.
The infield was redone during the
summer break and now has new dirt,
a new pitching mound, sand for the
mound and a new home plate. The
outfield grass was also moved back.
Jackson said the athletic department
helps maintain the fields at each school
in the district, but coaches must do
their part as well.
“I came from [Tucker High School]
where the coaches took care of the
field,” Jackson said. “We don’t have
people all over the place [who are]
going to cut fields, but the coaches can
do their part.”
Lithonia needs other renovations
such as a bullpen for pitchers, repairs
to the batting cage and removal of
shrubbery and dead tree branches that
are extending over the fence into the
outfield. The program was able to get
the sprinkler system working, and two
years ago the school district fixed the
scoreboard, which had not functioned
for nearly 10 years.
“When [former coach David High]
was here, he told me [that I will] spend
a lot of [my] own money and I didn’t
believe that until he left and gave [the
program] to me,” Marion said. “When
you want your field and facility to look
like everybody’s else, you’re going to
do what you have to do. I had to put my
foot down and say we have to change it
and that’s what I’m doing.”
Marion said he is in the process
of talking to local businesses to find
sponsorships.
“These kids want to play on good
fields that other kids are playing on. For
me to get [talented players] my facility
must look top notch,” Marion said. “It’s
not fair to the kids when we go to these
other schools and their fields are good,
but then they come back to our facility
it looks [bad]. And it doesn’t look good
when we’re hosting other schools.”
Jackson said budgets for sports in
the district vary with needs.
“The coaches get what they need.
Everyone is going to have uniforms,
bats and balls, but it’s incumbent on the
coaches to do their part also,” he said.
“Those programs in our neighboring
districts, those coaches in all the sports
get out and fundraise because those
other districts do almost about the same
[as DeKalb].”
To donate money for the pitching
machine, visit GoFundMe.com and
search “Lithonia High Baseball.” The
page also includes a link to view the
machine.
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